Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College USG Campus Completion Plan Revised, August 2012

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1 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College USG Campus Completion Plan Revised, August 2012 Institutional Mission and Strategic Positioning Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is a residential institution offering baccalaureate degrees in targeted fields, transfer associate degrees, non-transfer associate degrees, and a limited number of certificate programs. With a state-wide mission in agriculture and natural resources and strong programs in the liberal arts, nursing, business, the natural and physical sciences, the social sciences, and physical education, the College serves students with diverse educational and career goals. ABAC s overall goal is to be a strategic partner within the University System of Georgia in helping become a more educated Georgia. A small team was originally sent to the Complete College Summit in Athens that included 1)the VPAA, 2) the Registrar and Chief Data Officer, 3) the Lead Academic Support Counselor, and 4) a member of the Math faculty. Upon return, the Team and President attended all telephone conferences and worked together to have more broadbased and inclusive meetings with constituents that have included: 1) the President, 2) the Team noted above, 3) faculty members representing all six schools, 4) Student Affairs personnel including the Dean of students, Admissions and Recruiting personnel, Housing officials, and Athletics, 5) Deans and Department Heads, 6) Alumni representation, 7) External Affairs personnel, 8) Business office personnel, 9) Student representatives, and 10) members of the community. Part I: Goals and Data Analysis Describe your goals, or goal setting process, for access, retention, and graduation, with the overall goal of increased degree completion, i.e. graduation. ABAC has traditionally had an institutional retention rate and graduation rate that was higher than all the then two-year colleges and state colleges within the University System of Georgia (see figures 1, 2, 3, and 4). Nonetheless, with the ultimate goal of 1

2 Complete College Georgia to contribute to the larger state-wide efforts of increasing access and graduation, ABAC s goal setting process involved various College constituencies that were noted in the section above and included brainstorming for ideas, discussions about institutional history and future, and utilizing best practices both within the system and nationally. The goals, described in more detail below, illustrate the current practice and benchmark by using institutional data pulled from Banner and with assistance from others directly involved. The ABAC campus plan is expected to position the College for greater overall success over time in fulfilling its status as a state college, offering niche and targeted bachelor degree programs as well as a wide array of transfer associate programs and a limited number of associate of applied science programs. ABAC s overall goals include increasing access for targeted student audiences, improving progression, retention, and graduation, and making operational improvements, all with the overall goal of increasing degree completion. Student Access Goal 1: Increase Joint enrollment ACCEL. ABAC currently offers classes at 4 locations: Tifton campus, Moultrie site (ABAC on the Square), Colquitt County High School, and Fitzgerald High School. Current ACCEL enrollment totals 68 students (based on fall 2011). Data indicates non-learning Support students persist to graduation at a higher rate than do Learning Support students. Recruiting ACCEL students and expanding locations will offer more access to students in P-16, create more partnerships with P-16, and should over time increase committed and prepared students who persist to graduation. Goal 2: Increase Targeted admissions. ABAC s recruiting process seeks to increase admissions in targeted areas by targeted means in at least 10 specialized areas. Most recruiting practices at traditional two-year colleges include Probe fairs and lunch visits at area high schools. Previously, ABAC has functioned in this way; however, because ABAC is a residential and historical institution that offers unique bachelor (in addition to associate) programs, it is imperative that Recruiters focus on targeted groups that would be a match with ABAC s unique programs. While some work has been done in this area already, ABAC will continue to identify and recruit from new markets of potential students. ABAC has students that come from most Georgia counties and several states, but our goal is to increase enrollment from counties where we have lost enrollment and from counties that have a qualified student base to offer access. Goal 3: Increase On-line/Non-traditional. ABAC has attempted to avoid duplication of services in the area of on-line education, and rather than developing its own online courses/programs, ABAC 2

3 recently became an ecore affiliate institution. 84 students from ABAC were enrolled in ecore during spring Recruiting and marketing of this program with ecore partners, ABAC can identify additional student markets, creating access for students previously not considered. Our goal is to increase our nontraditional student population via ecore. Goal 4: Participate in USG Reach Scholarship program. ABAC has previously had a strong scholarship program through the ABAC Foundation. To that end, ABAC will continue to work closely with External Affairs to increase private giving in the ABAC Foundation. However, the Governor recently announced the REACH Scholarship (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen), which contracts with selected students in middle schools who maintain a certain GPA, remain crime, drug, and behavior issue free, and meet with a volunteer mentor until they graduate from high school. Gov. Deal encouraged USG campuses to participate, and ABAC agreed and has committed to participate in the USG Reach Scholarship program. Through its foundation, ABAC will provide matching funds in the amount of $2,500 per academic year per student for up to 10 students who qualify for REACH and attend ABAC. The first class of Reach Scholarships will not graduate and enter the higher education system until fall, Goal 5: Increase Pathways for students from TCSG. ABAC has had a strong relationship with technical colleges in the immediate geographical area to include a co-op program with Moultrie Technical College and East Central Technical College (now a campus of Wiregrass Technical College). In these co-op programs, as described in USG policies, students are able to graduate from the technical college, transfer their certificate en-masse to ABAC, take USG Core classes at ABAC, and then graduate from ABAC. In addition, ABAC has traditionally offered a nursing bridge program where students at technical colleges who have an EMT license, LPN license, etc. can transfer these credits into the A.A.S. Nursing (R.N.) program and complete the degree program. This particular program has been extremely successful over time. ABAC believes it can continue to partner with Technical Colleges, increasing access for students, particularly in the area of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Goal 6: Increase military friendliness. Currently, ABAC offers no initiatives that would recruit military students (former or current), but with Moody AFB and U.S. Marine Core and Logistics Base nearby, we believe there is a population that we can offer access to, and ABAC will increase these recruiting/marketing initiatives by 2 for the 2012 academic year. Progression/Retention Goal 7: Learning Support--ABAC s goal is to continue to decrease Learning Support 3

4 offerings. This has been the trend with the adoption of revised USG Learning Support policies. A pilot program in fall 2011 combined a Learning Support Writing with an English Results indicated many of those students passed Learning Support requirements and will also get English 1101 credit (approximately 83%). Math, on the other hand, continues to be a problem statewide and even nationally. ABAC practice of using higher placement/cut scores on the COMPASS more accurately places students where they need to be, but no significant results of success have been gleaned from the pilot study related to placement scores. In addition, 2 pilot Math Learning Support courses have been offered. In these courses, Math 97 and 99 were combined, using new technology as an enhancement tool. Data suggested some marginal success. ABAC s intention is to continue with the pilots and continue to seek alternate ways of providing Learning Support that prove successful for students (See Figure 5 for LS Data). At the CCG meeting in Athens, USG presented various ideas and strategies for Learning Support Math, and ABAC hopes the USG will continue to lead these efforts for the Colleges. Goal 8: Fully implement Standards of Academic Progress (SAP). ABAC has recently adopted new Academic Standards of Progress, which align with Financial Aid Standards of Progress, and will allow for students who are placed on probation to enter into an intervention program lead by the Academic Support Counselors. Nationally, data suggests that the earlier College personnel can intervene and assist students, the more likely those students are to succeed. Goal 9: Reduce/eliminate restrictive holds. Holds are frequently placed on student accounts to prevent registration, which creates a customer service issue and a detriment to progression (parking hold, library hold, etc.). ABAC will work to identify all types of Holds placed on student accounts in Banner and find alternate ways of dealing with those issues. Goal 10: Increase Prescriptive scheduling. Beginning in summer 2011, ABAC Academic Support Counselors (ASCs) implemented prescriptive scheduling, registering approximately 180 new students who were in any Learning Support course (1, 2, or 3 LS courses). ASCs will now begin to include any new freshmen who have CPC deficiencies in this prescriptive scheduling process. Academic Schools and ASCs have discussed expanding the prescriptive scheduling process to additional incoming freshmen to avoid any registration issues for students who enroll in classes they do not need. Goal 11: Work toward Curriculum condensation. ABAC schools will work toward streamlining core offerings in an effort to reduce credit hour losses when students change majors. Some of these efforts have recently been realized with the implementation of the new core, but some issues remain. 4

5 Increasing Graduation: additional strategies Goal 12: Identify students who have earned an Associate s degree from ABAC to recruit and re-enroll in our Bachelor degree programs. Goal 13: Identify and re-enroll students who stopped-out due to unsuccessful attempts of the Regents Exam, which was previously a requirement for graduation. Goal 14: Identify students who transferred from ABAC to other institutions, but are eligible to graduate from ABAC. Part II and III: Strategies and Objectives and Planning and Implementation Student Access Goal 1: Joint enrollment ACCEL. ABAC has seen a steady growth in its ACCEL program. In 2009, ABAC had 26 students, in 2010 we had 53 students, and in 2011 we had 68 students. We plan to expand this program in Tift County in ABAC offered courses at both Colquitt County High School and Fitzgerald High School in In addition, students took classes on the main campus in Tifton and at ABAC on the Square in Moultrie. Meetings have been held with school personnel in the following schools: Colquitt County, Tift County, Tift-Area academy, and Fitzgerald High School. Expanding courses to Tift-Area Academy and to Tift County High School will assist ABAC with expanding access and increasing partnerships. Action Item: Expand locations by 25% and enrollment by 10% in Year # of locations # of students Responsibility ACCEL Coord Goal 2: Target admissions Several initiatives have recently been implemented to increase admissions in targeted areas or using targeted means; NSF STEM recruiting initiative; Recruiting from Home-school programs; Recruiting from Phi Theta Kappa transfer students; Advance Placement recruiting through College Board; IB recruiting through Ga. Dept of Ed.; HEP recruitment that targets candidates for high school completion; CAMP recruiting that assists documented college students who are sons/daughters of migrant farm workers; FFA and FCCLA recruiting that targets students interested in some of our larger programs of study, and AAMI that recruits African-American Males and offers them assistance to increase success. Action Item: Expand recruiting/admissions in targeted areas, using current efforts as a baseline metric by 10%. Year # of targets Sample Responsibility 5

6 targets See above Admissions/Recruiting Goal 3: On-line course/program offerings We have recently become an e-core affiliate institution and we will expand enrollment efforts in this area, which should prove helpful to our non-traditional population. Action Item: Expand e-core enrollment by 5% during using baseline metric data of enrollment as comparison to expand access. Year e-core enrollment Responsibility Academic Support 2012 Goal 4: Need-based scholarships Action Item: We will participate in the USG REACH Scholarship Program. The first class from P-16 should graduate and be accepted by ABAC will continue to work closely with the ABAC Foundation to increase private giving. Year # of scholarships Responsibility Academic Affairs and Admissions/Recruitment Goal 5: Pathway for students from TCSG Action Item: Investigate an expanded articulation in the Natural Resources area with selected TCSG institutions. ABAC will increase expanded articulation by 25% (or 1 additional agreement) in Year # of pathways and types Responsibility (Nursing Bridge; 2 co-op degrees with TCSG) Academic Affairs and Dean of AgNR Goal 6: Military friendly Action Item: We will identify partners within the military to obtain referrals for prospective students. ABAC will increase these initiatives by 2 for the academic year. Year # of initiatives Responsibility Admissions and Recruitment 6

7 Progression/Retention Goal 7: Learning Support Action Item: Exit rates on first attempts will be compared between regular LS and pilot Math courses. Year Exit COMPASS Exit Compass Rates Responsibility Rates LS Pilot LS Director and Math Dept.head Goal 8: Standards of Academic Progress (SAP)/Intervention Action Item: ABAC will compare number of students on Probation in spring 2013 with number who were suspended with previous number of students suspended in spring Year Probation Spring Suspensions in Responsibility 2013 Spring Registrar and CDO Action Item: ABAC will implement an intervention program to be in place by Spring 2013 for students on Probation. Year # of students in Responsibility intervention Lead Academic Support Counselor Goal 9: Reduce/eliminate restrictive holds Action Item: A hold policy will be implemented by fall 2012 to decrease holds and improve customer service Hold Policy to be developed and implemented Registrar and CDO Goal 10: Prescriptive schedules Action Item: Increase prescriptive scheduling by adding all CPC deficient students in Explore option of additional prescriptive scheduling to be completed by ASC s and Schools. 7

8 Year Previous # of Responsibility prescriptive Schedules Academic Support Counselors Goal 11: Curriculum condensation ABAC will streamline core offerings, resulting in fewer credit hour losses when students change majors. To date, ABAC has implemented a single Biology track and deleted the computer competency requirement. Action Item: ABAC will investigate additional changes that can be implemented to improve curriculum issues for students. # of additional curricular changes identified Responsibility Academic Affairs and Deans/Dept. Heads Goal 12: Action Item: Identify students who have earned an Associate s degree from ABAC to recruit and re-enroll in Bachelor degree programs. # identified and contacted Responsibility Registrar/CDO and Admissions/Recruitment Goal 13: Action Item: Identify and re-enroll students who stopped-out due to unsuccessful attempts of Regents Exam. # identified and contacted Responsibility Registrar/CDO and Admissions/Recruitment Goal 14: Action Item: Identify students who transfer from ABAC to other institutions and are eligible to graduate. # identified and contacted Responsibility Registrar/CDO and Admissions Recruitment 8

9 Appendix 1 Operational Improvements The following strategic goals are ones the CCG team feels will aid in access, retention/progression, and graduation, though they may not be directly measurable, except in terms of completion, and are therefore included as an addendum to the goals set forth in the plan, though certainly of no less importance. 1. Adoption of Degree Works with deployment Summer Campus EAI Portal implementation for Fall Implementation of ARGOS to improve access to metrics for data analysis and improved decision-making by Spring Improve process and customer service in Student Financial Services Appendix 2 Retention Rates (BOR ADM Calculation) Figure 1 First Time Freshmen ABAC State Colleges System ABAC w/in System Fall 2010 Cohort Fall 2009 Cohort First Time Full Time Freshmen Fall 2010 Cohort Fall 2009 Cohort Graduation Rates (BOR ADM Calculation) Figure 2 First Time Freshmen ABAC State Colleges System % of State Rate Fall 2008 Cohort (2011 Grad) Fall 2007 Cohort (2010 Grad) First Time Full Time Freshmen Fall 2008 Cohort (2011 Grad) Fall 2007 Cohort (2010 Grad)

10 Figure 3 USG Figure 4 10

11 Appendix 3 General Term Learning Support Enrollment: Figure 5 Academic Term ENGL 0099 MATH 0097 MATH 0099 READ 0099 Total Seats FALL SPRING New Freshmen Learning Support Enrollment Academic Term ENGL 0099 MATH 0097 MATH 0099 READ 0099 Total Seats FALL SPRING LS Course Distribution - All Students Academic Term 3 LS Courses 2 LS Courses 1 LS Course Total Students FALL SPRING